Q Life Magazine Q Magazine December 2017 | Page 42
| Issue 3
| MIA exterior
landscape. It draws much of its influence from ancient
Islamic architecture, notably the Ibn Tulun Mosque
in Cairo.
The Museum is comprised of a main building with
an adjacent education wing connected by a large
central courtyard. The main building rises five-
storeys, topped by a high domed atrium within a
central tower.
The centrepiece of the atrium is a curved double
staircase leading up to the first floor. Above it floats
an ornate circular metal chandelier echoing the curve
of the staircase. An oculus, at the top of the atrium,
captures and reflects patterned light within the faceted
dome. A five-storey 45-metre tall window on the north
side gives spectacular panoramic views across the bay.
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Reaching increasing audiences at home
and abroad
As a pioneer museum in the Gulf, the Museum of
Islamic Art’s audiences have been growing steadily year
on year since the museum opened in 2008. Last year,
the Museum of Islamic Art welcomed just under half a
million visitors.
This growth continues, with data highlighting how
visitor numbers are increasing further still compared to
the previous year. And MIA recently celebrated one of
its most successful exhibitions to date, with more than
90,000 visitors so far attending Imperial Threads: Motifs
and Artisans from Turkey, Iran and India.
MIA is also the most visited museum page on Facebook,
with more than 2 million likes.